


The Child That Was

by Argentee



Series: The Symbol of Your Soul [3]
Category: Iron Man (Comics), Marvel (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, BAMF Peggy Carter, Gen, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, Howard Stark's Bad Parenting, Kid Fic, Kid Phil Coulson, Kid Tony Stark, Kidnapping, Maria Stark's Good Parenting, Past Brainwashing, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-29
Updated: 2019-06-03
Packaged: 2020-02-10 03:14:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18651748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Argentee/pseuds/Argentee
Summary: It's been widely reported that at four years old Tony Stark created his first circuit board. For Tony, that was the least interesting thing that happened when he was four. Then again, nothing about Tony Stark's childhood could possibly be called normal. Not how he met his first friend, not how he related to his parents, and not how he got his education.Contains Spoilers for the previous fics in the series, you may want to read those first.“For in every adult there dwells the child that was, and in every child there lies the adult that will be.”― John Connolly, The Book of Lost ThingsChapters 1 & 2 involve children being kidnapped, but other than the kidnapping there should be nothing triggering in what happens to them. This series is a big long fix it/Soulmate AU for me, and I want everyone to end up happy, darn it!Except Howard Stark. He's a jerk.





	1. Tony's first Kidnapping

By almost five years old, Tony Stark had decided the worst thing about being almost five was that people wouldn't teach you the things you wanted to know. Jarvis had taught him how to read and math, but then took books away saying that Tony wasn't old enough for them yet. Books didn't care how old you were, that's why Tony like them. So he just got better at reading and learned to sneak around and not get caught. His father wouldn't teach him to solder, didn't even want him in the lab. So Tony learned how to sneak in and watch, and stole a soldering iron his father rarely used. He thought when he showed dad the circuit board he had made his father would forgive him. Instead he got a spanking and a lecture about wasting his father's time. 

Waking up on the floor in the back of a van, feeling on the edge of throwing up, with two men up front all in black and with guns, Tony decided he was wrong. The worst thing about being almost five was that there was no way he was strong enough to fight grownups. His legs were too short to outrun them. And no one had ever taught him what to do if he was kidnapped. This was definitely the worst. The best he could think of was to stay limp and breathe slowly, eyes all but closed so they thought he was still asleep. 

If they had passed through a city he might have tried to get away, but they were driving through woods and mountains. Tony knew nothing about woods, other than that they had bears. Then they turned onto a dirt road, and his heart sank even further.

"Is the kid still asleep?" That was the driver talking.

"Out like a light. Not sure how much that idiot gave him." That voice came from behind Tony, and made him feel like he had been dunked in cold water. He hadn't even realized someone was behind him. He had to stay limp right now, and that was hard. 

The driver snickered nastily, "Not like anyone can ask her anymore."

This was bad, this was so so bad... Her? Was that his nanny? Last thing he remembered was his nanny taking him to the park, saying he needed to get some sunshine. He hadn't thought anything of it, his nannies were always saying stuff like that and none of them lasted long. Had she drugged him and then these men killed her?

And if he thought things couldn't get any worse, he was wrong, so wrong, because the van drove into a great big hole in one of the mountains, and they were in a cave. But the walls were supported with beams, so maybe it wasn't a cave, maybe it was a mine. They parked the van and got out, and the one behind him picked Tony up and tossed him over one shoulder carrying him off down a tunnel. The bouncing when he was already feeling so sick was just too much.

The only consolation in throwing up all over the man's back was that Tony was sure the guy deserved it.

 

Down the tunnel was an open area lined with cages like a zoo. The man carrying him opened the first one, and laid Tony face down on a thin mattress. "Don't die on me, kid... Boss will kill me if you die early. That dumb bitch..." He locked the cage and ran off, pulling his shirt off as he went. Tony saw a glimpse of a red patch on his shirt, but not enough to make out what it was.

Another voice, soft and young came from his right "Are you alright?" Tony didn't respond, just whimpered a little, rolling to his side and peering through his lashes. There was a kid in the cage next to his, a boy, not a teenager, but a lot older than Tony. Tony wasn't sure how old, he didn't get to spend time with other kids very often. Ok, ever.

Any chance of conversation was cut off with footsteps approaching, then someone was unlocking his cage and entering. Rough hands rolled him over, then wiped his face with a wet rag. His eyes were pried open, and a light shined into them. "Has he said anything, boy?"

The boy across the way said, "No." His voice was different talking to the man. Clipped and emotionless, and he said no more than necessary. 

The man muttered to himself, "Breathing good, pupil dilation normal... Pulse is steady..." He got up, leaving the cage, and leaving it unlocked. Tony was tempted to try and run, but he remembered the men with guns, the miles and miles of dirt roads, mountains, and woods. The man returned, sitting a bucket on the floor, and a glass of water. He looked over at the other boy, "When he wakes, tell him to sip a little bit of water. If he has to throw up, use the bucket. If he starts to vomit or convulse, yell and a guard will come. If he dies, we can start cutting pieces of you off early."

The other boy didn't speak, but apparently whatever he did do was enough to satisfy the man, who strode out locking the cage behind him. Tony lay still, listening to footprints leaving. If they were counting on the other boy to watch him, did that mean no cameras? He opened his eyes just a little. Turned his head slowly. No cameras that he could see. The lights were on poles stuck off to the side of the cages, cables running over to batteries to power them. He might be able to do something with that, if he could get to them. Keeping an eye on the door, he sat up slowly.

"You were faking being out? Good job. What's your name?"

Tony moved over to the cup of water, and took a tiny sip, rinsing his mouth and spitting it into the bucket, then two more times. Then he let himself swallow just the tiniest amount. "Tony... and I was awake, but the stuff they used on me made me really sick." He sat down on the edge of the mattress, examining the cage. "What's your name?"

"Phil. They'll be back soon to take a picture of you with a newspaper to prove they have you. You have to be awake for that, but it's ok to be sick. The sicker you look, the more likely they are to leave you alone." Phil swallowed hard. "They want something from one of your parents... this is just a way for them to get it."

Tony looked over at Phil, "What do they want from your parents?"

Phil swallows, "From my mom. Not sure what they want exactly... something about a paper she wrote when she taught math. But that was back before I was born, and she never talked about it."

Tony nodded a little, then stood up, and tried to squeeze between the bars of the cage. Almost, but not quite... he could work on that, but it wouldn't get Phil out. He studied the top of the cage, then the floor. The floor wasn't perfectly level, just bare stone and some dirt, but the cage was bolted down to it in a couple of places. "Math is good for a lot of stuff. My dad builds weapons... that's probably what they want. But who are they?"

For the first time, Phil looked scared, "You didn't see the badges? I recognized them from my comic books. They're Hydra."


	2. Tony Stark is rescued

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and Phil plot to escape their Hydra captors, but they aren't the only ones being held prisoner.
> 
> This chapter has some violence to Hydra goons (who deserve it!) but nothing graphic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter also has spoilers for [The Truth Is On My Skin](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15334779) so if you haven't read it already, why not? Also chapter count has gone up by 1, since I thought of a post credit scene.

The news that he was in the hands of Hydra made Tony feel like he couldn't breathe, his skin going cold. "Dad... dad would never give weapons to Hydra. Never. We have to get out."

Phil murmured softly, "It's ok, Tony... We'll figure it out, just breathe... Breathe..."

It took several minutes for that ice-cold feeling to go away. Tony was just starting to catch his breath when the man who checked him over came back, along with a second man holding a newspaper and a camera. Tony mentally tagged the first man 'doc'. Both of them were dressed in black, and this time Tony saw the patches with the Hydra logo on the left shoulders of the shirts. Doc looked over at Phil with a frown, "You didn't call."

Phil said, "He didn't throw up. Just gagged a little. He just woke up." 

Which wasn't exactly true. Tony concentrated on looking sick and miserable instead of looking scared. Doc unlocked Tony's cage, and checked Tony's pulse and looked in his eyes. The other man set up the camera, then thrust a newspaper at Tony. "Hold this and look at the camera."

Tony fumbled with the paper a bit, his mind racing. Falsworth visiting with Dad, talking about the war. The man with the camera ordered, "Higher, boy. Top of it under your chin." Tony did as he was told, but tucked in his pinky and ring finger, thumb hidden by the paper.[[1](%E2%80%9C#note1%E2%80%9D)] He looked at the camera, not trying to hide how scared he was. The flash going off was almost blinding, and he blinked hard as they took a second picture. Then they snatched away the newspaper and packed up the camera, locking the cage up as they left.

Tony sniffled a little. "I saw the patches this time. Dad won't give them anything if he figures out it's Hydra. We have to get out."

Phil had a worried expression on his face. "If it's like yesterday, they'll bring us dinner soon... soup in a bowl. No spoon. They watch while we eat it, then they take the bowl away. They turn off the lights in here but the ones outside are still on. Then we're supposed to sleep until they bring us breakfast. More soup."

Tony nods, biting his lower lip. "We need to bend the bars or pick the locks to get out... and I don't know how to pick locks, do you?"

Phil shook his head. "No, but now I want to learn. So we aren't strong enough to bend the bars. Maybe if we had a lever. We could try the poles that hold up the lights but they might bend before the bars do."

Tony frowned, "And they're out of reach... check the bases of all the bars, if any of them are loose, we should focus on those first." Tony picked a corner, and worked his way around the cage, testing the bars one at a time. "I think I remember a story... the Howlies needed to get a window open, so they tied a rope around some of the bars, and stuck an axe handle in it, and Dum-Dum turned the axe handle around and around, until one of the bars popped free... we aren't as strong as him, but we just need to bend the bars enough to skin out between them. I can almost fit."

Phil checked the bars of the cage he was in. "We can use our shirts instead of ropes, but we'll need something for an axe handle."

Tony kept working around his cage. "Probably our shoes. Not great, something longer would give us more leverage."

"I don't remember reading that story about Dum-Dum in the comics... or any of the biographies." Phil sounded curious, not doubting, just curious. 

"I heard it from my dad." Tony's mind raced. Hydra hadn't said his name, Phil had no idea he was Howard Stark's son, but he was still being nice to him. Nice to just... Tony. "My dad wasn't a Howlie but he worked on their equipment during the war. He probably has a bunch of stories that never made the books."

Phil looked over at Tony, "That's really, really cool. I've got a bunch of the books about the Howling Commandos, and Captain America. And the comics, and..." He shrugged, "I... I guess it's not as exciting to you. Your dad actually knew the Howlies. And probably at least saw Captain America."

Tony had found a couple of bars that wiggled a bit, and went back and forth between them testing them. The one on the front moved more, but the one on the side would be less visible if it didn't work. "No, I still love Captain America. I've got a complete set of the trading cards, and most of a second set." He sat back down on the mattress. "The original cards, not the new ones."

Phil sat down, mirroring Tony. "Really? I don't have any of those. Just the new ones."

Tony swallowed. "If we get out of here, Phil, you can have my second set. It's not complete, but..."

Phil tried to protest, "Tony, you don't have to do that."

Tony wiped at his eyes. He was not going to cry. He was almost five, not a baby. "No.. no Phil... we're going to get out of here. We'll go home. And I'll give you my second set of cards, and everything will be ok."

Phil swallowed. "Yeah, it will be ok. Maybe I'll get to visit you sometimes and tell you how I'm going on completing my collection. And this... this will all just be a story, a story that the kids at school would never believe if we told them. But the two of us will always know the truth, right?"

Tony nodded furiously. Stark men were made of iron. His dad said that, and he got angry if Tony cried. He'd be even angrier if he cried in front of strangers, in front of Hydra. But if they got away, if Tony's plan worked, then maybe his dad would be proud of him. He hadn't been proud when Tony made that circuit board, but this time, this time it would be different.

Any further planning was interrupted by Doc returning. It wasn't the photographer with him this time, it was a man in black wearing a muzzle.

Doc unlocked Tony's cage, and indicated him with a gesture. "Take him."

The man walked with a heavy tread into the cage, and Tony stood up, backing up a few steps despite himself, but the cage was too small, there was nowhere to run or hide. The man's left hand glimmered in the light, and when he grabbed Tony's shoulder it was heavy and cold. Metal. 

Tony looked up at the man, but his eyes were hidden by goggles. When the man steered him by his shoulder out of the cage, Tony didn't resist. He gave Phil a desperate look. If he didn't make it back, maybe Phil could make it out still. 

It was definitely a mine, there were gouge marks on the walls. If there had been rails and mine cars they had been pulled out, instead there were poles with lights and the occasional guards. The lights all ran off clunky batteries, like big car batteries. Wouldn't a mine have had a generator? But that would mean smoke, and the smoke would have to go outside the mine, which would let people know the mine was being used. Tony counted passages and turns so he could find his way back to Phil. He had to make it back. They needed him alive to get what they wanted out of his dad, right?

The room they brought him to was another cave, but this one the lights weren't hooked to batteries. So there was a generator, at least for this area. There was a large chair with restraints built in, heavy electric cables hooked to it, and other equipment.

Against another wall, more cables ran to what looked like a metal coffin, but one standing upright. A woman was slumped in it, more or less supported by the tightness of the space she was confined in, her hands strapped down. Damp brown hair fell in her face, her head slumped forward.

"Strap the boy in the chair." Doc's voice was calm but hard.

The metal hand on his shoulder vibrated a little before pushing him towards the chair. Was it an electric chair? Were they going to kill him? "My dad... you need me alive to convince my dad..." Tony could feel himself shaking as the man in the muzzle picked him up and sat him in the chair, then put the straps on his wrists, tightening them to the smallest hole. The straps had been made for an adult, not a child, and weren't tight enough to hold him in place. The man froze for a moment, then pulled the straps to the side so they looked right. He paused again, then turned around.

Doc was standing next to the woman in the metal box, slapping her face until she raised her head. Her eyes were sunken, like she hadn't slept in days or had been really sick. She slurred "A child...? What are you...?"

Doc stood back, giving the woman a nasty smile. "Since the chair works on the Asset, we know the hardware is functioning. However we've not been able to wipe you as we need to. So we need practice in calibrating the machine to someone not the Asset. I thought we would start with Howard Stark's son."

The woman looked at him. "Howard..." Confusion, followed by anger flashed across her face. Then the straps around her wrists were broken and she was launching herself at Doc.

"Stop her!" Whatever other orders the man was going to give was cut short by his head hitting the stone wall behind him, hard. Then the man with the metal hand was fighting the woman.

"James... James snap out of it, please..." She was fast, maybe a little faster than the man, but he was stronger and she looked like she was sick. Then she started speaking in a foreign language as the two fought.

Tony slipped out of the straps and got out of the chair, hiding behind it. Doc was still down, and the fighters were between him and the only exit. He looked at the chair he was hiding behind, and started pulling out hanks of wire. It was always easier to break something than fix it.

"Ready to comply." That was a new voice, male, muffled by the muzzle. 

The woman looked at the man in the muzzle, her face twisted up in pain, just for a moment, then straightened out. "I am your new handler. Orders from anyone other than me are void. Kill anyone who tries to come through that door." The man in the muzzle calmly drew two guns and went to stand in the doorway. The woman crossed over to Doc, bent over, and there was a snapping sound, like a branch breaking. Then she walked over to Tony, looked at him frantically yanking wires out of the chair, and smiled, joining him in trashing the machine, breaking circuit boards and grinding them into the stone floor. "Enough, we need to get you out of here. What's your name?"

"Tony... Tony Stark. And we have to rescue Phil. They kidnapped him too." The woman looked familiar, but it was hard to say. She wasn't made up, her hair was wet and looked like it had been cut with a knife.

"Hi, Tony. I'm Peggy. Is Phil another child like you?" Tony nodded, feeling his eyes go wide. Peggy stood, moving next to the man in the muzzle. "Soldier, give me a gun." The man didn't even hesitate, pulling a gun out from under his coat and handing it to her. "Here are your orders. First priority, getting the two children, Tony and Phil away from Hydra and to safety. Your second priority is getting me to safety. Lethal force is authorized."

Tony followed them out, staying hidden behind them. There were exchanges of gunfire, and he tried not to look at the bodies, but that didn't stop the sounds or the smells. He counted the passages and the turns, making sure that they were heading back to Phil. When they reached the passage that held the cages, Tony bit his lip as he ducked around both Peggy and the man in the muzzle. He let out a breath in relief as he saw Phil sitting against the back wall of the cage, uninjured.

The man in the muzzle didn't bother unlocking the cage, he reached out with the metal hand and tore the door off the cage. Phil waited until the man had moved away before emerging from the cage. He looked at the man warily, "When did he change sides?"

Peggy smiled thinly, "It's a long story, and most of it is classified." There was shouting from outside, in at least two languages, and the man returned to the entryway. Peggy moved the kids to the side, tucking them into a curve in the front wall. "Stay here... less chance of ricochet. We will have to secure this base, and then we'll talk."

Waiting there was the longest time of Tony's life. It was worse than faking being asleep in the van on the drive up, because he kept hearing gunshots in the distance, but the echoes made it hard to tell how far distant. He couldn't have said later if it was minutes or hours, he didn't think to start counting until the end, when the gunshots were coming further and further apart. It was about eight minutes after the last shot that Peggy returned. "Ok... we're fairly certain now the base is cleared. We don't want you two to have to see anymore than you have to, but we have to gather what information we can before destroying this base. So, I'm going to escort the two of you to the motor pool and have you wait for us there."

Phil frowned, "Why destroy the base? It's evidence."

Peggy sighed, and explained as she herded them out towards the entrance, trying to stay between the children and the occasional dead body. "Hydra has kept hidden by destroying evidence, killing witnesses, and keeping their structure decentralized. The left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing. So it is likely that the rest of Hydra doesn't know kidnapping you was a Hydra operation. If we can get you two home, destroy this base, and you two don't mention Hydra, they won't have a reason to come after you both. Especially with some security changes to make you harder to reach." 

In the entrance cavern there were many parked vehicles as well as a board hung with keys. Peggy looked over the vans, then selected a station wagon instead, grabbing a handful of keys from the board, and trying them until she found the right one. She sat the boys in the back seat, then opened the rear door. The man in the muzzle appeared, carrying two heavy canvas duffles, tossing them in the back and then heading back into the base. Peggy looked after the man, then looked back at the two boys. "I have to grab files, and change clothes.... And get -him- into something less conspicuous. You boys wait here."

Phil watched her go with narrowed eyes, "Are you sure we can trust her? She looks like... I mean... but -HYDRA-."

"But she was their prisoner too," Tony protested. "And yeah, I know who she looks like, and she said her name was Peggy... she was their prisoner, and they were going to... they were going to hurt me, bad, real bad, unless she did what they wanted, Instead she said something in Russian to the man in the muzzle, and he turned on them."

Phil swallowed, "But she can't be Peggy Carter, I mean, she'd be OLD now."

Tony chewed on his lower lip. "Maybe not.. Not if she was given the serum too... I... Phil... I kind of left something out. My Dad didn't just know the Howlies and Captain America. My Dad is Howard Stark."

Phil looked at him with shock, then laughed a little. "Ok... Hydra kidnapping you makes a lot more sense now. If they could control Howard Stark, then they could get the best weapons, get access to the military, all sort of things."

Tony nodded, his voice small, "Yeah, I know. But Peggy stopped that from happening. And if she -is- Peggy Carter, she's more than Captain America's best girl, she was Steve Roger's soul mate, even before he became the Captain. They just kept it secret because of the war. So maybe they gave her the serum too, or maybe it's because they were soulmates, or maybe something else. But... I think we can trust her. We have to, because her driving us out of here is a much better chance of getting us home safe. What if Hydra controls the local town? Or if the sheriff is Hydra?"

Phil nodded. "Yeah.. if she betrays us, we'd have a lot better chance of running if we were in a city, preferably one far from here. We could look up the FBI in the telephone book and go to them. They probably have the whole country looking for you."

Tony nodded. "But... I was serious about if we make it home. About the trading cards. And you said you'd visit, right?"

Phil nods, "If our parents will let us, then yes. If not, then we'll write or something."

Tony started to reply, but stopped as Peggy and the man returned. But he wasn't wearing the goggles or muzzle any more. Tony whispered, "Phil, that looks like..."

Phil's eyes were wide as he watched the man prowl towards the car. "Bucky Barnes... no way."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1 Tony here is making the ASL symbol for the letter H and using it to hold the paper. He is trying to signal his Dad that he is in Hydra's hands. [ [return to text](%E2%80%9C#return1%E2%80%9D) ]
> 
> For those wondering why the chair didn't work on Peggy, Bucky was confused, disoriented, and in an incredible amount of pain when they started brainwashing him. Peggy's mind was sharp, and she was capable of thinking of other things when they tried to zap away specific memories. Hydra's tech was crude, and required Bucky to be wiped repeatedly and kept in cryo between missions in order for him not to heal and recover. Peggy was put in cryo mainly for convenience and because they were curious if it would kill her.
> 
> As pointed out in [The Truth Is On My Skin](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15334779) the world in general doesn't know that Peggy got a variation on the serum. It was in her SHIELD file, which is how HYDRA found out. But a HYDRA agent in SHIELD convinced the rest of SHIELD and the world that Peggy was dead. That is what her SHIELD file says as well, so no one was looking to rescue her. But using Control Words to keep your Asset under control with a super spy with super hearing in the area? Yeah, didn't work out so well for Hydra. 
> 
> Comments feed a writer's soul! Feel free to ask any questions you might have, and if you want to leave extra kudos, leave a  ❤️.
> 
> I'm also [JehanneArgentee](https://jehanneargentee.tumblr.com/) over on tumblr, feel free to say hi.


	3. Tony Stark returns home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony glanced at his mother's face, then gestured at Phil. "This is Phil. The Russians kidnapped him too." At Tony's mention of Russians everyone went silent.

It turned out they were in upstate New York, so it wasn't too bad a drive to get Tony back home. Phil lived in Wisconsin, which Tony knew was almost half the country away, so Peggy was going to drop him off with Tony. They stopped along the way to refuel the car and get sodas, and got food from a drive through which is something Tony had never done before. Cheeseburgers were now his favorite food. As they drove, Peggy drilled each of them on what they were going to say. It turned out that Phil spoke some Russian and some German, and Peggy was going to use that.

The soldier didn't talk much, only in response to instructions Peggy gave, which was creepy. Peggy left the car a couple of blocks from the mansion, and the soldier drove around a little, then let the kids off just down the street from the back gate. The boys stuck close together, trying to look casual which was hard with some of the bruises that Phil had, and the fact that the boys both badly needed baths. They managed to get almost to the gate before a cop spotted them, calling out "Hey kids! Get away from there!" 

The two sprinted, Phil picking Tony up so he could reach the keypad easier. The first code Tony tried didn't work, but the second one did. The cops were almost on them when they ran through the gates towards the rear of the mansion. More people were pouring out of the back of the mansion, lots of men in suits that Tony didn't recognize, then he saw his mother. "Mammina!" Tony dodged past the men, throwing himself against his mother who knelt down to hug him. Normally Tony didn't like hugs, but right now it didn't matter. He was home, he was safe. He leaned against his mother, pressing hard against her.

People were talking. A lot of them at once, all trying to talk over each other and Tony hated it. It was hard to follow, and they were getting louder and more emotional. Phil had followed Tony, and kept himself between Tony and the men. His mother smiled, asking Tony in a soft voice, "Who is this, Tony? Will you introduce us?"

Tony glanced at his mother's face, then gestured at Phil. "This is Phil. The Russians kidnapped him too." At Tony's mention of Russians everyone went silent.

His mother released him, standing up straight. "Gentlemen, shall we take this inside? These boys could probably use a good meal while we figure this all out." Phil and his mother stayed close to Tony, while the men started arguing amongst themselves, the words 'classification' and 'jurisdiction' were being used a lot. His father was in the middle of it, so Tony kept his mouth shut.

Tony perked up when he saw who was holding the door to the house open. "Mr Jarvis!"

Jarvis smiled at him warmly, "Welcome home, young Master Stark."

"You're ok. I'm glad you're ok. They killed Miss White." Everyone fell silent again for a moment as Tony announced his nanny's death. 

Maria deftly took over in the momentary silence, "Jarvis, please bring Tea and Coffee to the blue sitting room. And some sandwiches for the boys."

Tony used the opportunity to drop the code that Peggy had given them, "Lavender, Chamomile, Wintergreen."

Phil gave the follow up, "Wintergreen, my stomach is unsettled."

Jarvis nodded, "Honey, not sugar, of course." He glanced once at Howard Stark, then withdrew. Tony very carefully did not look at Jarvis or his dad. They'd given the code like Peggy said, and Jarvis had picked it up... now they just had to stick with the story until the strangers all left.

The blue sitting room was not big enough for all the men who had crowded into the house, and Tony suspected that his mother did that on purpose. The men had to settle out in the hall who was going to join them in the room, which gave her time to get Tony and Phil settled on the couch, one of her arms protectively around Tony. His dad looked angry at that. "He's not a baby."

Maria said firmly, "But I'm a mother. I need to keep him close for a while, to believe he's really safe." His dad didn't look pleased, but stayed quiet, settling in a nearby chair. In the end, only three of the strange men came into the room, the rest dispersing. 

Phil looked between the adults, "It starts with me, sir. I was kidnapped about five days ago... if today is the 17th?" When the adults nodded, Phil continued. "A man in a police uniform and car drove up as I was walking home from school... he asked if I was Phil Coulson, and said there had been an accident, and he was going to drive me to the hospital." Phil grimaced. "I got in the car... adults always tell you to trust police officers, go to one if there's trouble. But when he pulls over, it's not at a hospital, he puts a rag over my face and I black out. When I wake up, I'm cuffed hands and legs, and in the back of a van. The cop's up front, and two guys all in black with guns are in the back guarding me. It's a long drive... they stop for gas, and give me a soda to drink, but no food and when I say I need to pee they make me do it on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere. The first time I heard Russian, was the cop told the others 'We're approaching a city, put him asleep'." Phil repeated the phrase in Russian, "Then they used the cloth on me again. When I woke up next, we were again in the middle of nowhere."

The man in a grey suit interrupted then, "Why do you speak Russian?" His suit looked a little better than the others, but not as nice as Tony's dad's. 

Phil gave the man a bland look, "Mom has degrees in Linguistics and Math, Dad in Linguistics and History... I speak Russian, German, Spanish, French, and Italian... my Latin, Hebrew, and Greek need work." Phil looked back at Tony's Dad. "It took more than a day to get to the destination, they knocked me out a couple more times. We ended up in an abandoned mine, big enough that a bunch of cars were parked inside the entrance. They dragged me through some passages into a small cave that had two cages in it and threw me in one. They took pictures of me holding a newspaper. I pretended I only spoke English, so they talked amongst themselves in Russian, though a few of the guards used German. They found my mother from a paper she wrote years ago, and they wanted her work since then. I didn't tell them she hadn't been working since I was born. I didn't want them to know I understood them, and... if I told them that... they wouldn't have any reason to keep me alive.

"There was a weird chair in the room... it had wires and straps on it, like an electric chair, and was hooked to computers and monitors. I asked about it, the man in charge just gave this evil smile and said it wasn't for me." Phil swallowed, stopping as Jarvis came in with the tea and coffee service. There was a pause as the two boys got mint tea and sandwiches cut into quarters, and the adults got their coffee. 

Once everyone had settled back down, Phil continued, "They didn't talk to me except to give me orders... all they fed me was soup, and there was a bucket for when I had to go. I tried to catch names when they talked to each other... the one in charge was Karpov. There was a guard named Becker... and then there was the soldier.

"That's what they called him. Soldát. Or Zimniy Soldát. He wore all black like the others, but goggles and a mask across his mouth. He never spoke, just stood by the entrance, never moving unless Karpov ordered him. It was disturbing. Then Tony arrived."

Tony took a deep breath and remembered what Peggy had told him. Look at the bridge of the nose, they'll think you're looking in their eyes. But never look too long at any one person like that. "My nanny, Miss White, had taken me out to the park. We were feeding the ducks at Harlem Meer, near the North Garden, and I felt a sharp jab in my backside and I started feeling weird. Next I woke up, I was being carried over someone's shoulder through someplace dark and then I was tossed on a thin mattress in a cage."

Phil took the story over then, and Tony leaned against his mama just a little. Having strangers in his house was awful. Talking to strangers was awful. Talking to strangers in his house was awful squared. Or maybe cubed, because he was talking about something bad.

"Whatever they gave Tony had made him sick, he threw up on the guy who carried him in, and then again in the bucket on his cage. They didn't bring in a doctor, just gave him a cup of water and made him hold a copy of a newspaper while they took a picture. They left us alone then, Tony and I talked a little. Then Karpov and the Soldier came back. Karpov unlocked the cage Tony was in and..." Phil swallowed hard, meeting Howard's eyes. "He said the last thing the world needs is another Howard Stark. The Soldier, he paused a moment at the name Stark. Karpov didn't see because the Soldier was behind him but it was the first move the soldier had made that wasn't wind-up doll perfect. But then Karpov ordered him to put Tony in that electric chair and he just did it."

Tony shook his head, "Not really, I mean, he put me in the chair, but the holes on the straps didn't let him tighten them down. I could slip right out, he just tucked them so that they'd look right. Then he turned away like everything was normal and...." Tony stopped.

Phill continued, "He shot Karpov. One shot, right through the center of the chest. It..." Phil swallowed. "Tony slid out of the chair, and the Soldier took the keys from Karpov's belt and gave them to Tony. He said 'Wait here' and left the room. Then the shooting started. And screaming."

Tony picked up then, "I let Phil out of the cage, and then I started tearing wires and breaking the circuit boards on the chair. If... if the soldier didn't come back, I didn't want someone else putting me in it. But after a while the shooting and... noises stopped. And then a while after that he came back with a big black duffle bag. He said, "Follow me, I'll get you out of here. And we did but..."

Phil picked up when Tony hesitated, "I counted eight bodies between the small cavern we were in and where they had the cars parked at the entrance. Head or chest shots, depending on if they were wearing these heavy vests or not. He loaded us in a car with the duffle and told us to wait... he came back after twenty minutes or so, and the mask and goggles were gone, so was the black uniform and armor. He... he just looked like a guy. Good looking, brown hair, pale blue eyes, slacks and a plaid button down shirt. He had kept the boots and gloves though.

"He got in the car, and asked us where we were from. He decided to drop us off in New York since Tony lived closer. He said the chair was for some kind of electric lobotomy, but more precise... that he had been a prisoner of war and they had just burned away everything but the soldier, made him a weapon. He couldn't even remember his own name."

Tony looked over at his father. "But he knew you. He said you had made the scope for his rifle in the war. Knew that Howard Stark was on the right side so the people giving him orders to hurt Stark's kid were on the wrong side. He had a Brooklyn accent, dad."

Phil broke in then, "We were about half way down the mountain when we heard the explosion... he had rigged the mine to blow and collapse. He said he wants the Russians to think he died there. Buy him a little time before they go looking for him. We didn't talk a lot. He was worried about someone spotting us, stopping us before he got us back safe. He took us through a drive through to get a meal and we stopped once for gas.."

Tony leaned against his mother. "He was going to hide. Said America was a big country, plenty of places to get lost in if you weren't picky about work and sleeping rough. I wanted him to come with us, but he was scared of the Russians." Tony his lower lip. "Not little kid scared; he kept one hand near a gun, and was always tracking everyone, all the cars, everything."

Phil nodded, "He'd take random turns or circle a block to check for tails. He dropped us off down the block, and we headed here. Some cops tried to stop us, and it was a cop that snatched me in the first place, so we ran for it."

The questions started then, and Tony kept his answers simple, sticking to the story Peggy gave him, but careful to change his words a little each time so it didn't sound memorized. Phil answered more questions, about what he had heard shouted in the fight and had overheard from the guards. Thankfully it wasn't long before his mother interrupted, "Enough. This is enough. These are two little boys, not suspects, not spies. They need baths and a proper meal. Phillip needs to speak to his parents." Tony didn't know how to read the look his parents exchange, then his mother continued, "I'll also be making arrangements for Phillip's parents to fly out here and get him safely home. You men can continue talking while I see to the boys." And with that she stood, and guided the two boys from the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments feed a writer's soul! 
> 
> Please feel free to ask questions, quote your favorite parts, or leave happy emojis below!
> 
> Starting next chapter, the story will be from Maria Stark's point of view.


	4. Maria Stark meets Peggy Carter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maria Stark is glad to have her son back, but has a feeling that it won't be that easy. Life never is for a Stark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This Chapter is dedicated to GeekyNerdDemon. Thank you for agreeing to beta-read my story! Now if you just lived in the same country, and could poke me with a sharp stick whenever I procrastinated on writing.
> 
> I'm switching to follow Maria Stark, as I could not figure out how to get Tony present for everything that needs to happen. After all, he's 4 years old. A damn amazing 4 year old, but still a kid.

Getting the boys settled and making arrangements for the Coulsons to fly out took less time than she had planned. Part of that was Ana's help, the Jarvises were the only people that Maria would trust with Tony right now, and part of that was that the children were just worn out by their experience and willing to be cleaned up and put to bed. Seeing Tony insist on giving Phil his extra Captain America trading cards nearly brought her to tears. Tony didn't have any friends his own age, and watching him and Phillip together was as close as she had seen to him being social and happy. The bitter irony that it had only happened because of such a horrible event as a kidnapping, and that the two would be separated when the Coulsons arrived tomorrow broke her heart. 

After confirming with Ana that the various agents and investigators had left, Maria headed down to the lab in the basement. Howard was annoyed with her, so he would be sulking in his lab. She could confront him there, where Tony couldn't hear them arguing. She ran through the algorithm in her head, punched in today's passcode, and pushed the door open.

Howard had sprung to his feet and was trying to block her view of the people behind her. Strangers, in Howard's lab. Strangers who had not entered from the house above. Maria ducked under his arm and slipped around him, holding her hand out to the woman. "Maria Stark. I take it you are the secret my son was keeping from the authorities?"

The brunette woman shook firmly, and her hand had calluses that did not come from a pen or typewriter. "Peggy Carter."

Maria felt a jolt of surprise at the name, but kept it off her face. "I'm sorry we haven't met before, but I send a very nice arrangement to the cemetery every year on your birthday."

Peggy smiled wryly at that, "Do you think the FBI or SHIELD realized that your son was holding back information?"

Maria wanted to answer right off, but stopped. She heard plenty of Peggy stories from the Howlies when they visited Howard, even a few from Jarvis, and the woman would want her to think it through. "The FBI agent, the police agent, neither of them took Tony seriously. The SHIELD agent was watching Tony much more carefully, but he relaxed towards the end, seeming satisfied. I knew Tony was lying because he was trying too hard. Tony doesn't look at people much, makes eye contact even less. To them he no doubt looked sincere, if exhausted."  
She moved off to the side, taking a seat. Howard gave her a thoroughly exasperated look, but Maria was not going to budge. "I want to know more about who took my son, Miss Carter. Or is it still Director despite your... demise?"

Peggy looked grim, "A mole inside SHIELD kidnapped me and faked my demise. They attempted to break me and failed, but only because I had read white papers written by scientists in SHIELD about the theories behind hypothetical brainwashing techniques."

Howard groaned, "Peggy, you aren't still holding that grudge against Zola? He's been a model employee since SHIELD took charge of him."

Peggy almost growled, "Oh, that's not the only grudge I'm holding. Soldat, snimi masku."

Maria watched as the man in the shadows stepped forward, and removed his goggles and muzzle. A handsome man, with cold blue-grey eyes, he matched the description Tony had given of his rescuer but looked vaguely familiar as well.

"Barnes?!?" Her husband's shocked exclamation placed it for her. They had never met in person, which was why she couldn't instantly place the name.

Peggy was advancing on Howard, "You told me you had run the calculations. That there was no way he could have survived the fall, even enhanced."

Howard stammered, "We had orders, stopping Schmidt was the priority..." His excuses were cut off with a crack as Peggy hit him with a punch to the jaw out of nowhere, hard enough he went flying back to lay dazed on the floor.

Peggy gave Maria a look that wordlessly asked if they were going to have trouble. Maria said mildly, "He had that coming." It wasn't as if she didn't know her husband could be an ass, putting work in front of people. She heard Howard moaning as he sat back up again, but kept her focus on Peggy. The soldier was equally dangerous, but Peggy seemed to be in command. "You believe SHIELD is compromised. My son's nanny was screened by SHIELD. The doctors we see are selected by SHIELD or are SHIELD themselves. I accepted this because being Howard’s soulmate meant I was at risk. But now they are the risk. To myself. To my son!” Maria bit down hard. She would not lose her temper, she was raised better than that. 

Howard groaned, “Honey, Maria, I am sure it is not that bad...”

Maria turned on him, “No? I am sure that it is WORSE. I do not know what you would do to get our son back, but I would burn the world down! I told you when we got married that I would not clean up your messes. I told you.”

Howard went pale at that. He had assumed she meant dealing with the aftermath of one of his affairs, or worse an illegitimate child. Maria took a deep breath, and turned back to Peggy. “In this case, I make the exception. I have identities set up, in case the fascisti came for my family again. Identities I set up on my own, without SHIELD knowing because my husband laughed and said I worried too much. You and Barnes would be cousins of mine, brother and sister. Tomorrow, the Coulsons are arriving to take their son home. No one would be surprised after they leave if I took my son to our house in the Catskills and had my family with me."

Peggy smiled faintly, "I'm not without resources, at least if my will was followed." She gave Howard a pointed look.

Howard waves a hand vaguely, "Yes, yes, Dum-Dum made sure your crazy will was followed. Well, it seems less crazy now. But it will take a while to get things organized, especially if I can't use SHIELD to do it." Peggy and Maria both looked daggers at him, while Barnes's expression somehow managed to be both vaguely bored and murderous, as if killing Howard wouldn't even be a challenge. Maria wistfully wondered if she could perfect such an expression, she could think of half a dozen society wives she'd love to use it on. Howard raised his hands in surrender.

Maria added, "And tell SHIELD that we won't be getting a new nanny, no matter what that doctor says." She spat the word doctor like it was poison. "If they object to me taking care of my son, tell them that Ana Jarvis will be doing it, but I'm not letting another traitor into this house." She took a deep breath and let it out, "Now, I assume you have SHIELD business to discuss that I should not be privy to, so I will head to bed. If there is anything you need in the meantime, please let us know and we'll try to give it." She looked Peggy Carter in the eyes, "You saved my son, that is a debt I can never repay. But I will try."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the 1970's many issues that had previously been blamed on a child's relationship with their mother were reclassified as innate. This includes autism (which had previously been blamed on 'refrigerator mothers'), schizophrenia, and homosexuality. However, with Howard Stark founding SHIELD any doctors or psychologists that Tony or Maria saw would have been cleared by, or more likely members of SHIELD, and thus potentially HYDRA. Blaming Maria for any problems Tony had, and overprescribing drugs such as valium to Maria would have been a great chance for HYDRA to create rifts in the family, making Howard and Tony more vulnerable and leading to the dysfunctional family seen in the comics. I am heading off some of that here.
> 
> But Howard's still an ass.


	5. Maria meets the Coulsons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Coulsons arrive to take Phil home, and Maria makes plans for the immediate future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is a week late. My Mother was sick, and I was up all night taking care of her for several days, which of course lead to me coming down sick. Cold meds make for interesting dreams, but for lousy concentration.

Maria woke the next morning to Howard asleep on the bed next to her, smelling faintly of whiskey and with a magnificent bruise developing along his chin. She got out of bed quietly, dressing and doing her makeup in almost perfect silence. Better to let him sleep in than to risk his temper. That was part of the reason that Tony's room was in another wing, after an ear infection as an infant had lead to wailing that kept Howard awake, Tony had been put far enough away that even the loudest cries wouldn't disturb Howard's rest.

With Howard still asleep, Maria headed down to the kitchen. The boys were already down there, eating breakfast, and Maria joined them at the kitchen table as Ana handed her her morning cup of coffee. Breakfast for her was a roll, usually with a small pat of butter or a bit of jam. At Howard's insistence, Tony got cereal for breakfast. At her instance, he also got a cup of warm milk with a splash of coffee in it so he could feel like he was having coffee with her. Maria looked over to Edwin, "I will need you to pick up the Coulson's from the airport, and drive them back after they have met with Howard and the authorities. That meeting will occur here, under Howard's supervision. Tomorrow, Tony and I will be relocating to the house in the Catskills, I don't know if Howard will be coming, but I want minimal staff. Right now, other than yourself and Ana, I'm not sure who of the staff we can trust." She took a sip of her coffee. 

Tony and Phil had finished eating, and Tony asked politely, "May we go, Mama?" 

Maria leaned over and kissed the top of Tony's head. "Of course. Your father is sleeping, just don't wake him up. And stay out of the front hall, in case the Authorities return." Once the boys had left, Maria's expression hardened. "If any of the authorities do return, put them in the small sitting room and keep them there until Howard arrives." She met Jarvis's gaze, "I don't trust them with my son, and Phil is under our protection until we hand him over to his parents. Also, I'd like to call Mr. Dugan and invite him to visit while we're in the Catskills."

Ana commented, "We will need more staff than the two of us. But I understand after Miss White..." 

Maria nodded at what Ana didn't say. "I will look into it, see what I can come up with. But I think if they killed Miss White, it was to keep her quiet. That there is another spy in the house, or in Stark Industries that she could identify. Of course, if we fire everyone and then hire new staff we're also at risk of hiring a spy. I will get back to you later today." 

Having finished her breakfast, Maria went to get her notebooks from her personal safe. The bound blank books were where she kept track of her notes on society and on the household. Personalities, gossip, favorite foods, quarrels, it all went into the notebooks for later reference. She pulled the two involving current household staff, and went to see where Tony was. Finding him in his 'shop' explaining something to Phil, Maria sat down to thumb through the books and refresh her memory as to who provided references for the late Miss White, as well as the other staff. There were no obvious ties, but ties wouldn't be obvious if the spies were any good. Nor did Miss White disliking someone exonerate them. Sighing faintly, she closed the books to watch her son instruct a boy more than twice his age in circuit design. Even more amazing was that Phillip was willing to listen, and asked intelligent questions. When they reached a break, Maria interjected softly. "Boys, we need to talk. Phillip, would you check the hallway and make sure no one is there?"

Once he had done so, she looked seriously at the two of them. "I met Carter and Barnes last night, and I understand why they had you give an... incomplete story to the authorities. Now I need to know if you have any ideas on how to figure out what household staff we can trust." 

Tony leaned against her leg, the way he did instead of giving a hug. "I didn't want to lie to you, Mama."

Maria leaned back against him a little, resisting the urge to pick him up and hug him and hide him away from the world forever. Her sweet, smart little boy did not deserve how cruel the world would be to him. "I know, but we have to keep Carter and Barnes a secret for now, you both understand this?" She smiled at the boys' nods. "Good. Now, I want you boys to think. Did they say anything that indicated they might have another agent in the house? I don't think they would have killed Miss White unless they had someone else in place, and other than the Jarvises, I'm not sure who to trust."

Phil slumped a little, "No ma'am, I didn't hear anything like that."

Tony nodded, "But Hydra wouldn't take blacks or Jews, so Miss Deborah and Miss Barbara are safe. And so are Mister Harold, Mister David, and Mister Michael." 

Maria felt a flush of cold terror, like ice water rushed through her veins. Hydra. She had been a child during the war, safe in America. But she heard the stories, the whispers as well as the headlines. This was a nightmare come to life. Hydra still existed, they had kidnapped her son.

Her son, who she had to be brave for.

"That is very good thinking, Tony. I will talk to Ana, and we will make plans based on that. Phillip, your parents should be here in time for lunch, and will probably have to speak with the authorities before you leave. I want you and Tony to stay up here, out of the sight of the authorities. The less you have to say to them, the better. And you are both children, use that. Demand your parents, if questioned. Refuse to talk to strangers. I know you are both brave, but sometimes it is better to be smart than brave."

At the chorus of "Yes, ma'am" and "Yes, mama" Maria nodded with a smile, and headed down to the kitchen. The idea that she needed to 'supervise' Ana making lunch was as ludicrous as her teaching a bird how to fly. What she needed was to speak to Ana alone, to make sure that Edwin had told her about Hydra. Assuming that Howard had told Edwin, but the two of them were thick as thieves. No, her worry was that Edwin would try to protect Ana by keeping her in the dark. Unfortunately, there was no chance to be alone, though she arranged for Michael to drive Deborah and Barbara up to the Catskills to put the house in order, and to call if anything was disturbed or unusual. By the time the Coulsons arrived she still hadn't had a talk with Ana. The authorities kept them in the sitting room for almost an hour, though without the children present.

Mrs. Coulson was released first, which didn't surprise Maria so much as vex her. It was Mrs. Coulson who was the target, but she had no doubt been sent out of the room so the men could talk about things. "Mrs. Coulson? I'm Maria Stark. It's a pleasure to meet you, let's go up and check on the boys."

Mrs. Coulson shook with a firm, dry grip. "Please, call me Joan. You have a lovely home."

Maria smiled faintly at Mrs. Coulson, "Then you must call me Maria. And thank you, but it's like living in a very elegant fishbowl. Poke your head out of the tiny castle inside, and your every move is on display. It's very hard on Tony, the only chance to be with other children is at society event when everyone is on display. You don't make friends that way." The two women made their way up to the second floor where the boys were still in Tony's rooms. "I know that Phil is a great deal older than Tony, and they don't have a lot in common. But he has been kind to my son, and they've been through a traumatic time together. I would appreciate it if you would encourage Phil to write Tony. I know with time it will likely fall off, and they'll just be names on each other's Christmas Card list, but right now a letter from Phil every month, reassuring Tony that he's alright and that his life goes on would be a big help."

Mrs. Coulson nodded, "I'm sure that will be possible. Phil's always been a good kid, when he went missing, I feared the worst because he just isn't the kind of child to run off."

Maria nods, "And with your work with code breaking, your version of the worst went further than most. I know how that feels." Mrs. Coulson had stiffened a little, and Maria laughed just a bit. "Please, Joan. I will not ask you to say a word that might violate the security agreements you have signed. But degrees in linguistics and mathematics? That equals code breaking. Even if you had not been a codebreaker yourself, the mathematical analysis of languages would have been vastly useful." Joan didn't say a thing, but the very stillness she held herself with spoke volumes. "And now you feel guilty because they came after your son." Maria's voice caught on the word, and she swallowed and met Joan's eyes. "Do not feel guilty. You work to defend this country, the same as any soldier. Those who would go after a child? They are not soldiers, they are beasts. The men sent you out of the room so they could talk about how to keep you and Phil safe, yes? But you and I, we will defend our boys. Because we are mothers."

Joan nodded, her spine a bit stiffer. "You are right, Maria. We will." And if her smile was a little grim, then so was Maria's. Together they headed into the playroom that Tony had turned into his lab. Phil's expression lit up, and he dropped what they had been working on. "Mom!" 

Maria walked over to Tony, kneeling down next to him. "Would you like to show me what you are working on." She listened carefully to his explanation, he tended to jump around a bit when talking but got horribly hurt if he felt you weren't paying attention, something Howard couldn't focus enough to do most of the time. Behind her, she could hear Phil talking with his mother and showing off the Captain America cards Tony had given him.

When Tony was done, Maria nodded at him. "Sounds like we need to get you more photoresist sheets, and maybe some small motors or the parts to make them?" Tony lit up at the evidence that she had been following along, at least well enough to know what he needed. Maria stood. "Come on, let's wash your hands then head down to lunch."

Lunch was in the small family dining room, which could comfortably sit up to eight, though all the Howlies would cram in there before they would use the formal dining room. Maria got Tony settled in a wooden booster seat in the chair next to her, so she could help if he needed anything. Howard entered with Mr. Coulson, and the two settled in the remaining seats.

Lunch started with tortellini in broth, followed by chicken and a caprese salad. Maria had been worried about what to talk about during lunch, but when Phillip looked at Howard and said, "You helped make Captain America. What was he really like?" in awe-struck tones, well, the conversation was pretty much taken care of. The Coulsons asked the occasional question, but between Phillip's eager questions, Tony's occasional comment of "Dad, tell him about the time that..." and Howard's love for being the center of attention all Maria had to do was eat her meal and smile occasionally.

Once lunch was completed, the Coulsons left with Tony and Phillip promising to write to each other and Jarvis driving the Coulsons back to the airport. After getting Tony down for a nap, Maria was finally able to talk to Ana which raised a new issue, what if her office was bugged? No, walking while they talked seemed a better answer. They wouldn't be in the range of any listening devices for more than a few moments, and if someone was following them to eavesdrop it would be obvious. "Ana? Could you walk with me for a few minutes? I'm trying to get things together before leaving tomorrow, but there are a few things I want to go over with you."

It took a few turns, and one stop to comment on the upstairs drapes starting to show signs of fading, but finally Maria was satisfied that no one was in earshot or following. "Ana, did Jarvis tell you who was behind taking Tony?"

Ana frowned faintly, "No, but everyone is saying it was the Russians." 

Maria sighed, "No, but that is what we want everyone to think. It was Hydra." Ana's eyes went wide with shock and fear, then her expression firmed. Maria nodded, "The soldier who rescued my son was a prisoner of war they used for their experiments. They did not intend to return Tony to us, they did not hide who they are. The soldier killed every one of them at that base, and collapsed the mine. So they do not know that we know."

Ana shuddered a little. "And they can not know. Jarvis didn't tell me, no doubt didn't want to worry me. But I'm in charge of most of the household staff. I'm more likely to notice something, and I'm responsible for hiring." 

Maria nods, "And eventually I will need a new nanny for Tony. Howard expects me to handle all our social commitments and charity work so he can focus on the company. But we need someone who can keep up with Tony's mind, and who absolutely cannot be Hydra. SHIELD and society's approval of the choice are now irrelevant." Maria's gaze hardened, "And fire anyone who you doubt, anyone who makes you uncomfortable. I know I gave you permission to fire people for being racist or any of the men making unwanted advances. I want you to use it ruthlessly. I don't care if we lose half the staff, I do not want anyone who thinks that way under our roof. And do not tell them -why- they are being fired." Maria's lips twisted in a bitter smile. "Blame it on me. I am, of course, hysterical over the threat to my son. You have no idea why I am letting so many good people go."

Ana took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes, ma'am. It is such a shame. And when I have to fill jobs at short notice, well, of course I ask some of those remaining if they have relatives who are looking for a job. We can handle this. And I will have a few words with my husband about how keeping me in the dark is not protecting me."

Maria nodded then sighed. "And I will pack for the Catskills, and then dress. Howard has decided we have to have a picture taken together by the newspaper to prove that Tony is alright." 

Thankfully she did know how to pack for herself, though she spent some time suspiciously examining the seams and lining of the luggage. She would ask Peggy for lessons in how to check for tracking devices and such. She couldn't rely on her staff any longer, she couldn't rely on Howard, and that hurt. You were supposed to be able to rely on your soulmate. That's what the Church told you, what society, what every fairy tale told you. You met your soulmate, over came any obstacles, and once you were married you lived happily ever after. The stories never prepared you for soulmates that worked too hard and drank too much, or an infant screaming with an earache, or someone kidnapping your son.

The truly horrible thing was, it had been easier when Tony was gone. She had been scared, yes, but she had trusted Howard and the authorities, following instructions, trusting they would get her son back. Now she had her son back, but had no idea who she could trust. 

Except Peggy Carter and Bucky Barnes. She exhaled at that thought, and went to wash her face and redo her make up for the photos they would be taking later. If half the stories of the two of them were true, they'd shake hands with the devil himself before they'd work with Hydra. And there were the other Howlies. She got along quite well with most of them, and even if they couldn't drop everything and go around the world blowing up Hydra bases anymore, they would at least understand. And they deserved to be warned, what if Hydra went looking for revenge?

So before changing clothes, she picked up the phone and made a call. "Dum-Dum? It's Maria Stark...  
"I know, I can't talk about it over the phone, but they were going to hurt Tony. They told him what they were going to do, my little boy...  
"Actually, there is something you can do. We're going to the house in the Catskills, and I think a visit from Uncle Dum-Dum would help Tony a lot...  
"Wonderful! We're driving up tomorrow, and will be looking forward to you arriving. Addio."

With the call taken care of, Maria changed into a dark blue dress she knew photographed well and went to get Tony ready. That was a bit harder. Thankfully, they had eliminated any clothing that Tony had tantrums over from his closet, so it was a matter of getting him dressed while answering a nonstop string of questions.

"But the newspapers already printed that I was home, why do they need a picture of me?"

"Because it will sell papers, and confirm for people that you are really home."

"Why do people care? They don't even know me."

"Because your father runs a very big company. One that lot of people work for and even more are invested in. They worry he might make bad decisions because he is upset over your kidnapping."

"Why would my kidnapping make him make mistakes?"

"Your father loves you, even if he's not very good at showing it. But when you went missing, he was calling everyone who might help and yelling at them to find you. He even yelled at the head of SHIELD and of the FBI. Believe me, he wasn't thinking much about the company at the time."

Tony eventually accepted her explanation, but she could tell he wasn't happy. Tony hated strangers in the house. Porca miseria! He would throw a tantrum if he found the downstairs maid cleaning his room upstairs. They had been very lucky that he had been too focused on telling the story that Peggy Carter had given them to be upset that the authorities were there. But Tony was not happy about the reporters now, and as they walked into the room where the reporters and Howard were waiting, Tony was hiding behind her. Of course that made Howard glare, if only for a moment. Which no doubt made Tony want to hide more. 

Maria sat down next to Howard, a serene expression carefully pasted on. When she pulled Tony into her lap, he leaned against her, no longer looking at the photographer. Maria smiled gently down at her son, ignoring the clicking of the camera shutter. Howard, on the other hand, was getting more annoyed."No need to baby the boy, Maria." 

Maria put an arm around her son protectively. "This is for me. I hate letting him out of my sight after what happened." She smiled sweetly at the reporters, "Do you have the photos you need? With the investigation on going, Tony isn't supposed to be talking about what happened.

The reporter who seemed to be in charge gave a fake smile, "I'm sure we've got questions we can ask that wouldn't impact the investigation. Were you scared, Tony? I bet you were scared, little guy?" His voice had taken the fake-sweet tone adults sometimes used with kids, and Maria inwardly winced. That never went well with Tony.

In her lap. Tony stiffened. "I'm small. Not stupid."

Now Howard really was angry, and Maria stood quickly before he could say something they would all regret. "And that's my cue to take this one to get his dinner. Gentlemen." 

As she left with Tony, she could hear Howard's chuckle behind her. "He's a scamp, isn't he? But my wife was right, there's a lot we can't talk about." Maria nodded to Jarvis as they left, but didn't stop until she and Tony were safely in the small breakfast room next to the kitchen. Once there, she sat Tony down, and unbuttoned the top button of his dress shirt, then offered Ana a faint smile as the woman peered in from the kitchen. "I think Tony and I will eat here. Howard can join us when he is done with the reporters, if he wishes." 

Dinner was smaller than lunch, especially with not having guests. Tony was able to handle most of it himself, and she didn't mind if he made a little mess feeding himself. Especially once Jarvis informed them that Howard was going to be eating in the lab. Without having to worry about Howard criticizing any flaws, they could both relax. Once they were done eating, Maria smiled at her son. "Come along, Tony. We're going to pack for going to the Catskills house tomorrow." 

Tony hopped down out of his seat, following Maria closely. "My Nanny's always did all the packing. Now you're going to do it?"

Maria smiled a little. "We are going to do it. So that you know how to pack for yourself if there is no one to do it, and so you don't mess up your clothing if you add something at the last minute to a suitcase someone has already packed." Her voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper, "Your father does that all the time. It makes extra work for Mr Jarvis when they get to their destination and he has to press the wrinkles out. So I'm going to teach you how to pack, so you can be responsable like Mamma." Tony leaned against her briefly at that, his version of a quick hug, and made no more argument. 

Trying to teach Tony something was a matter of showing him how to do it, letting him do it, then gently making any corrections needed. Tony wasn't in the mood to talk, so Maria let him be silent. He could be a chatterbox sometimes, babbling away about what he had read or made or wanted to make. Other times wild horses couldn't drag a word out of him. She kissed the top of his head gently. "Go ahead, pack a second suitcase with your tools and toys, and I'll help you." Tony was much more careful about packing his tools and toys than he was with folding his shirts, but that didn't surprise Maria. Tony cared a lot more about his tools than about having nice shirts.

At least he was cooperating, even when Maria went to bathe him and put him to bed. When he didn't want to talk or cooperate, well, they'd lost a nanny over that. Tucking him into bed, Maria asked quietly, "Would you like me to read you some more of the Hobbit?" when Tony nodded yes, Maria reached for the book, opening to the bookmark tucked neatly between the pages. "The next morning, Bilbo woke up with the morning sun in his eyes..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Addio - Goodbye  
> Porca miseria! - literally Pig Misery. More figuratively 'Damn it' or 'Bloody hell'. A bit more obscen than 'for crying out loud'
> 
> All translation errors are my own
> 
> One more chapter to go, then the after credits scene. 
> 
> Please feed the author comments! Om nom nom!


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